Predicting the first loss for every college football top 25 team

No. 22 Virginia Tech Hokies: Nov. 4 at Miami 

The Hokies aren’t going to fall off at all post-Frank Beamer, as new head coach Justin Fuente did a terrific job in his debut and has Virginia Tech primed for another successful season in year two.

Fuente already looks like a slam-dunk hire, as the Hokies reached 10 wins for the first time since 2011 and captured the ACC Coastal title last season. Virginia Tech picked up solid wins over North Carolina, Pitt and Arkansas along the way, and tested national champion Clemson in the ACC title game.

Unfortunately, the surprise departure of record-breaking quarterback Jerod Evans, along with talented pass-catchers Isaiah Ford and Bucky Hodges limits the Hokies from starting the year further up in the polls. Three-star redshirt freshman Josh Jackson is a question mark at quarterback and has little experience to throw to beyond Cam Phillips, and the Hokies will be leaning heavily on Travon McMillian to replace Evans’ rushing production.

The reason Virginia Tech enters the year as a darkhorse New Year’s Six pick is a terrific defense, led by destructive outside linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and a stacked secondary. That defense will be enough for a season-opening upset (at least by rankings) of West Virginia, which has a ton of newcomers at wide receiver and questions on the offensive line.

An entirely manageable stretch of Delaware, at East Carolina and Old Dominion follows, which should get the Hokies to 4-0. That will lead into one of the biggest upsets of the season on Sept. 30 against Clemson, as Bud Foster’s defense will be able to hold a retooling Clemson offense at bay in front of a rocking crowd at Lane Stadium to help the Hokies churn out enough production against one of the best defensive lines in the country.

The schedule opens up more in October, but Virginia Tech will finally suffer its first defeat on the road against a good Miami team that will have all its young talent clicking by season’s end. If the Hokies can survive the following two game stretch at Georgia Tech and against Pittsburgh, they will be in line for a major bowl.